Us

Marijke Welvaert

Born and bred in East-Flanders, Belgium, Marijke travelled to Australia for the first time in 2008 to attend a conference in Melbourne. During the subsequent weeks of travel in Queensland, she fell in love with the country and regretfully boarded the plane back to Europe yet with one promise, that she would be back.

5 years later she permanently migrated to Australia and quickly Canberra became her home where she pursued her career as an applied statistician as well as participating in the local community. She has been active in several community bands playing the saxophone and cornet. Dabbled in the challenges of completing an Olympic Distance triathlon and gained lots of muscle through powerlifting. She feels fortunate to have met so many friends who made Canberra her second home.

In April 2019, the last piece of the puzzle fell in place when she had breakfast with Steve at Chatterbox Expresso in Belconnen. Now she was truly home.

Steven Dodt

Born in regional Queensland, but raised in the Northern Territory, Steven has never quite known a home like Canberra though. The lights of the “big city” seem at odds with the low key life on a Mango Farm, the peace and tranquility of estuary life or the enormity of the Simpson Desert.

Having lived in Canberra since 1995, Steven has made the “other Territory” his true home, most evident in his community involvement in support of his three beautiful daughters.

With broad interests in sport, languages, music, technology and photography, Steven’s passion for life has never been matched until last year when he met Marijke.

Together their love has blossomed and finally Steven can share all parts of his life with Marijke, his interests, friends and family.

Marijke is more than his equal and she has truly made Steven feel more at home in Canberra than he ever did before.